Month: November 2013

Eden awaits a fairytale Sachin swansong

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It has watched him weave magic both with the bat and the ball, and reach one milestone after another. And now the historic Eden Gardens, one of the world`s most splendid cricketing venues, has one last wish: to witness one of the games` greatest, Sachin Tendulkar, script a memorable swan song innings.

The stage is set for Tendulkar to take guard in the 22 yards of the hallowed stadium for one last time in the India-West Indies Test beginning Nov 6. It ends a 22-year colourful association marked by ecstasy, unmatched adulation, controversies, and a few heartbreaks.

Ecclestone says door is open for India return

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A deal has been done for India to return to the Formula One calendar in 2015 and for six years beyond that if tax problems with the country`s authorities can be overcome, commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone said on Saturday.

“The door is open for them,” the Briton, who turned 83 on Monday, told Reuters at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

“It`s all there. Done. That`s all done,” he added when asked about a contract extension. “Just a case of the government sorting itself out.”

Scientist reveals ‘how life began on Earth ‘

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Indian-origin paleontologist, Dr. Sankar Chatterjee, believes that he has found the answer to the question about how life on Earth began more than 3.8 billion years ago.

Chatterjee, a professor of geoscience at Texas Tech University and curator of paleontology at the Museum of Texas Tech University argues that in addition to bringing water and the chemical constituents of life, asteroids and meteors made impact craters that became “crucibles” in which chemical reactions that ultimately gave rise to living cells took place.

‘Bullett Raja’ music plays hide and seek with expectations

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Music Composers: Rhythm, Dhol, Bass (RDB); Singers: Nindy Kaur, Raftaar, Wajid, Shreya Ghoshal, Bonnie Chakraborty, Neeraj Shridhar, Mamta Sharma, Keerthi Sagathia, Danish Sabri.

The music album of director Tigmanshu Dhulia`s upcoming film “Bullett Raja” has seven tracks, including a remix version. While some tracks can go on to becoming hits, the others could just go unnoticed.

New hope for paralyzed people

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Biomedical engineers are set to give people suffering from complete paralysis new hope.

By implanting electrical stimulators in the lower spinal cord, they are bypassing the injury site and directly activating spinal neurons that control the lower body.

The early experiments have met with great success. With the help of this spinal stimulation, the first human test subject was able to stand on his own and move his legs voluntarily on the very first day of the experiment.

Bill Gates brands ‘ prioritizing’ global Net connectivity over ‘malaria’ as ‘joke’

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Microsoft chairman Bill Gates has said that prioritizing worldwide Internet connectivity over malaria research is a ‘joke’.

The Microsoft co-founder believes that though improvements in technology is ‘amazing’ and may have their benefits, they still would fail to meet the needs of the world’s most desperate as PCs are still not in the hierarchy of human needs atleast in the ‘first five rungs’.

Four of a family killed in accident in Gujarat

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Four members of a family, including two minor children, died after the car they were travelling in plunged into the Narmada canal near Adalaj on the outskirts of the city today, police said.

The deceased have been identified as Imran Khan (35), Rehana (32), Aftab (10) and Muskan (7), residents of Nagalpur
village in north Gujarat’s Mehsana district.

Adalaj Police sub-inspector R T Brahmbhatt said the mishap might have taken late in the night and the car, which
was presumably driven by Imran, had plunged into the canal after breaking the railing.

Kohli becomes number-one ranked ODI batsman

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Virat Kohli today became the number one batsman in One-day cricket after a superb batting show against Australia in the just-concluded series, in which he scored 344 runs.

Kohli had scores of 61 (in Pune), 100 not out (in Jaipur), 68 (in Mohali), 115 not out (in Nagpur) and 0 (in Bengaluru).

This gave the 24-year-old a series aggregate of 344 runs at an average of 114.66, and a reward of 38 ratings points which helped him to jump three places to top of the ICC ranking table for ODI batsmen.

Palestinian refusal of Jewish homeland root of conflict’

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today said the Palestinian refusal to recognise the Jewish people’s right to a homeland is the root of the ongoing conflict in the region.

Netanyahu’s remarks came a day after the Palestinians dubbed ‘Balfour declaration’, calling for a national home for the Jewish people in Palestine, the “biggest political crime in contemporary history.”

“That declaration recognised the right of the Jewish people to its own homeland in Israel,” Netanyahu today said at the start of a weekly cabinet meeting.

B’desh court awards death sentence to UK Muslim leader, US man

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A Bangladesh war crimes court today sentenced to death in absentia two persons – a Britain-based Muslim leader and an American citizen – after holding them guilty of committing atrocities during the 1971 liberation war, 42 years after the duo fled the country to evade justice.

“They will be hanged by neck until their death,” chairman of the three-judge International Crimes Tribunal Justice Obaidul Hassan said while sentencing the infamous Al-Badr leaders – Ashrafuzzaman Khan and Chowdhury Mueen-Uddin.

Man arrested on murder charges dies

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A man, who was arrested today from the Mahismari area here in South 24 Parganas district on charges of murder, died while being rushed to the hospital after he complained of chest pain.

Karim Ghazi was arrested in connection with a murder case in Mahismari and was brought to Kultali police station,
where he was kept in the lock-up, police said.

At around noon, the person complained of chest pain and was first taken to the local Jamtala health centre, they
said.

After his condition deteriorated, he was rushed to Baruipur sub-divisional hospital, but the doctors pronounced

Six killed in Iraq attacks

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Attacks in Baghdad and north Iraq killed five security personnel and a civilian today, officials said, part of a nationwide surge in violence that authorities have failed to stem.

The shootings and bombings were the latest in months of unrelenting bloodshed, Iraq’s worst since 2008, and come
despite wide-ranging operations targeting militants and tightened security.

Palestinians threaten to take settlement grievances to UN: PLO

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The Palestinians threatened to go to the UN Security Council over Israel’s announcement today of tenders to build more than 1,800 settler homes in the West Bank and east Jerusalem.

The PLO is considering a mechanism to go the Security Council and the UN against these new Israeli decisions ,especially as there are international resolutions that consider settlements illegal,” Palestine Liberation
Organisation senior member Wassel Abu Youssef told AFP.

Three killed and four injured in group clashes in Gujarat

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Three people were killed and four others injured today, while more than 20 houses were set on fire, after clashes erupted between two tribal groups over previous enmity in Khajuria village of Garbada taluka here, police said.

Three people were killed and four others were injured this evening, after group clashes broke out in Garbada
taluka’s Khajuria village here,” Dahod Superintendent of Police (SP) M A Chavda told PTI.

More than 20 houses were set on fire in clashes that broke out between two groups over previous enmity,” he said.

Pakistani minister accuses US of ‘killing peace’

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Pakistan Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan Saturday accused the US of “killing the peace” through a drone strike which killed Pakistani Taliban Chief Hakimullah Mehsud.

The minister told a press conference that the government had finalised a strategy to begin talks with the Taliban but the US drone strike in north Waziristan tribal region has caused a serious setback to the process, Xinhua reported.

Girl killed, mother injured by unidentified assailants

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A girl was killed and her mother wounded today after unidentified persons attacked them in Bihar’s Jamui district, police sources said.

The assailants overpowered the woman, Sudha Devi, and her daughter Gungun Kumari near Katoria bridge under Simultalla police station area and slit their throats with sharp object, the sources said.

–PTI

Sri Lankan army rejects controversial war video

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The Sri Lankan military Sunday rejected a new video released by a British television channel which accuses the army of committing war crimes.

The army said the video on Sri Lanka released by Britain’s Channel 4 television is fake and once again attempts to discredit the army ahead of an international event, Xinhua reported.

The Channel 4 video shows a group of soldiers surrounding a half-naked Tamil lady identified as Isaipriya alias Shoba, after she was found on the battlefield during the final stages of the war between the army and the Tamil Tiger rebels in 2009.

Woman found dead in Bengal, family alleges rape

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The half-naked body of a married woman bearing a deep wound in the neck was found in West Bengal’s Burdwan district, police said Sunday. Her family alleged she was raped before being murdered.

“The half-naked dead body of the woman was discovered late Saturday night. We have registered a case of murder and sent the body for postmortem. Five people have been detained for questioning,” said a police official.

The victim’s husband claimed that she was raped and also alleged that police refused to lodge a rape complaint.

NTR’s statue torched in AP village

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A statue of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) founder and actor late N T Rama Rao was found burnt at Pulladi Gunta village, 10 km from here, today morning.

Smoke had blackened the statue and heat had peeled off chunks of cement, when it was found by villagers.

—PTI

‘Krrish 3’ going strong, collects Rs.23 crore on second day

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It’s a double celebrations for Hrithik Roshan and the “Krrish 3” team as the Diwali release is going strong at the box office and has collected Rs.23 crore on the second day of its release.

“‘Krrish 3’ is fabulous on day two, despite pre-Diwali festivities at its peak. Collects Rs.23 crore (Hindi+Tamil+Telugu) on Saturday. Outstanding,” tweeted trade analyst Taran Adarsh.

Reshma’s songs – full of passion, purity

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Legendary Pakistani singer Reshma passed away Sunday morning leaving behind some unforgettable songs that had purity and passion.

She recorded songs for both Pakistani as well as Indian movies.

Here is a list of some of her popular songs from Hindi movies:

– “Lambi judaai” (“Hero” – 1983)

– “Mere chan pardesi” (“Pati Patni Aur Tawaif” – 1990)

– “Akhiyon ne akhiyon se milke” (“Heer Ranjha” – 1992)

– “Jo phool yahan par” (“Heer Ranjha” – 1992)

– “Ashkan di gali…” (“Woh Tera Naam Tha” – 2003)

Her non-filmy songs are:

– “Dama dam mast kalandar”

2 naxals killed in encounter with security forces

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Two naxals were killed while another was arrested after a fierce gunbattle with security personnel in Maoist-hit Sukma district of south Chhattisagrh today, police said.

“The face off between the ultras and the joint group of CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action) battalion and district force took place in?the forests of Jagargunda police station limits this evening,” Sukma Additional Superintendent of Police Neeraj Chandrakar told PTI over phone.

–PTI

Manisha Koirala celebrates Diwali with family

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Cancer-free Manisha Koirala is celebrating Diwali Sunday with family members in Nepal, said her manager Subroto Ghosh.

“Manisha has gone to Nepal and she is there with her family to celebrate Diwali. She is absolutely fine and spending quality time with her family this Diwali,” Ghosh told IANS.

The 43-year-old, who has been part of many films like “Bombay”, “1942: A Love Story” and “Dil Se”, underwent treatment for ovarian cancer in the US for over six months.

What about films?

Bollywood remembers Pakistani singer Reshma

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Indian film fraternity members were saddened by the death of legendary Pakistani folk singer Reshma in Lahore Sunday and expressed their grief via Twitter.

Actor Kabir Bedi shared the link of her performance to the popular song “Lambi judai” and wrote: “In memory of the legendary Reshma, a live performance of her. Unforgettable ‘Lambi judaai’.”

Filmmaker Anubhav Sinha posted: “RIP Reshma. You were a gift to us.”

Indian American finds answer to question of life

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An Indian American scientist has claimed that he has found the answer to the question about how life on earth began more than 3.8 billion years ago.

Sankar Chatterjee, professor of geo-sciences and curator of paleontology at the museum of Texas Tech University, has claimed that meteor and comet strikes likely brought the ingredients and created the right conditions for life on our planet.